{
 "id": "john-newton/prayer-answered-by-crosses",
 "title": "Prayer Answered by Crosses",
 "ordinal": "36",
 "subtitle": null,
 "poet": "John Newton",
 "poet_slug": "john-newton",
 "language": "en",
 "book": "Olney Hymns",
 "book_slug": "olney-hymns",
 "book_kind": "volume",
 "sequence": 277,
 "container": "III Conflict",
 "epigraph": null,
 "first_published": {
  "year": 1779,
  "venue": "Olney Hymns (1779)",
  "note": "First located printing is this volume; an earlier periodical printing has not been established.",
  "uncertain": false,
  "sources": [
   "https://archive.org/details/bim_eighteenth-century_olney-hymns-in-three-bo_newton-john_1779",
   "https://cowperandnewtonmuseum.org.uk/bulletin/computerised-index-to-the-olney-hymns/",
   "https://archive.org/details/olneyhymnsinthre00cowpuoft"
  ]
 },
 "source": {
  "kind": "standard-ebooks",
  "repo": "standardebooks/john-newton_william-cowper_olney-hymns",
  "file": "book-3.xhtml",
  "upstream": [
   "https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Olney_Hymns_%281840%29",
   "https://archive.org/details/olneyhymnsinthre00cowpuoft"
  ],
  "rights": "public domain (SE dedication; underlying text pre-1931)"
 },
 "verification": {
  "level": "structural-only",
  "last_checked": "2026-08-15"
 },
 "stats": {
  "n_lines": 28,
  "n_stanzas": 7,
  "n_parts": 7,
  "longest_line_chars": 39,
  "max_indent": 0
 },
 "site_ready": true,
 "parts": [
  {
   "ordinal": "I",
   "title": null,
   "stanza_range": [
    0,
    1
   ]
  },
  {
   "ordinal": "II",
   "title": null,
   "stanza_range": [
    1,
    2
   ]
  },
  {
   "ordinal": "III",
   "title": null,
   "stanza_range": [
    2,
    3
   ]
  },
  {
   "ordinal": "IV",
   "title": null,
   "stanza_range": [
    3,
    4
   ]
  },
  {
   "ordinal": "V",
   "title": null,
   "stanza_range": [
    4,
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   ]
  },
  {
   "ordinal": "VI",
   "title": null,
   "stanza_range": [
    5,
    6
   ]
  },
  {
   "ordinal": "VII",
   "title": null,
   "stanza_range": [
    6,
    7
   ]
  }
 ],
 "stanzas": [
  [
   {
    "text": "I ask’d the Lord, that I might grow",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "In faith and love and every grace,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Might more of his salvation know,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And seek more earnestly his face.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "’Twas he who taught me thus to pray,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And he, I trust, has answer’d pray’r;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But it has been in such a way",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "As almost drove me to despair.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "I hoped that in some favour’d hour",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "At once he’d answer my request;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And by his love’s constraining power",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Subdue my sins and give me rest.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Instead of this, he made me feel",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The hidden evils of my heart;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And let the angry pow’rs of hell",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Assault my soul in every part.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Yea more, with his own hand he seem’d",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Intent to aggravate my woe;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Cross’d all the fair designs I schemed,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Blasted my gourds, and laid me low.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Lord, why is this, I trembling cried,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Wilt them pursue thy worm to death?",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "“ ’Tis in this way,” the Lord replied,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "“I answer pray’r for grace and faith.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“These inward trials I employ,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "From self and pride to set thee free;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And break thy schemes of earthly joy.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "That thou may’st seek thy all in me.”",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ]
 ]
}